Visiting chef from Beijing showcases his noodle-making skills.
LATEST RECIPE
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
2 Jalan Stesen Sentral
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2263 7434
Business hours: 6am to midnight
THOSE who enjoy la mian (pulled noodles) should head to Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur’s Latest Recipe as Leo Zhang, a guest chef from Beijing, is in town to showcase this ancient art of Chinese noodle-making.
La Mian originated during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of Qing Dynasty and is characterised for its clean taste and simple preparation, but is nonetheless a flavourful dish.
Chef Zhang was born in China’s Lanzhou city in Gansu province, which is famous for the Lanzhou-style la mian.
His fascination with la mian began when he watched an expert making the noodles at the restaurant where his sister worked.
Different preparations: Enjoy a variety of noodle dishes at Latest Recipe.
After graduating from high school, chef Zhang started learning to make pulled noodles.
It took him nine years to master the art of hand-pulled noodles and making the perfect beef stock.
“The most difficult part is kneading the dough, it cannot be too hard or soft or it would affect the pulling process,” he said.
The dough is held between the hand, stretched, tossed, pulled and swung repeatedly until it is evenly divided into thinner strands and served fresh to diners.
In 1999, chef Zhang moved to an independent restaurant in Beijing’s Xicheng district to become a noodle-making specialist under the guidance of Jiang Bo, a renowned nutritionist in China.
In 2006, chef Zhang joined the Westin Beijing as Chef De Partie and has been there ever since.
His favourite version of la mian is the spicy Szechuan style.
Skilful: The process of making pulled noodles is not for the untrained.
For the promotion, take your pick of Green Spinach Noodles or Red Tomato Noodle and choose from a selection of toppings, including tomato egg sauce, spicy braised beef brisket, preserved vegetables and shredded chicken, beef shank and white radish.
A hot beef broth is then poured over the noodles to complement the dish. The piping-hot bowl of thick broth with beef, preserved vegetables and homemade noodles is a hearty meal.
Aside from the la mian promotion, which ends tomorrow, Latest Recipe also features Malay, Indian, Japanese and Western cuisine.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
